PhilliesPhans.com

Bryce Harper punches his ticket to Cooperstown at age 16

By 'Duk

I have no idea if there's a difference in pressure between having every baseball wonk following you around at age 16 and having every sports fan in the country learn your name, but I suppose Bryce Harper will soon be able to tell us.

Following in its grand tradition of predicting can't miss future superstars like Schea Cotton and Tamir Goodman, Sports Illustrated is using the cover of this week's magazine to tout the 16-year-old Las Vegas resident as "the most exciting prodigy since LeBron."

Writes SI's Tom Verducci:

"Still only 16, Harper stands 6'3", weighs 205 pounds, has faster bat speed than Mark McGwire in his prime and runs so fast that he scored on wild pitches six times this season from second base. As a catcher he picks off runners from his knees, and when he pitches, he throws a fastball that has been clocked at 96 mph.

"When James was 16, he was a high school sophomore with an NBA game and a body to match. Harper has been compared to Justin Upton(notes), Alex Rodriguez(notes) and Ken Griffey Jr.(notes), each a freakishly advanced high school player and each the top overall pick of his draft. But Harper, say the baseball men who are paid to make such assessments, has the ability as a sophomore that the aforementioned trio had as seniors"

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_le ... mlb,167844

I saw this on ESPN this morning. Now everyone knows, Bryce Harper.

Too bad the Phils cannot trade up in drafts.....

So what's Boras going to squeeze out of the team that's 'lucky' enough to draft him?

What's a kid with that kind of speed doing playing catcher? One would think centerfield or shortstop would be more appropriate. As a catcher, he'll kill his knees and much of his power while wasting his speed.

I've got a hunch we'll hear as much about him a few years from now as we do about Toe Nash.

Yeh, this happened to the kid who was the star catcher in the 1944 Hearst All-Star game.
A kid from boondock, Nebraska named Richie Ashburn. All those games as a HS catcher ruined his knees, took away his speed, he was never heard from again.

Exactly! And why are the making a kid with that kind of pitching arm play catcher when he is not pitching?? Nice way to destroy a good arm.

Better bat speed than McGwire in his prime? How do they tell that? Talk about pressure though.

And his cousin is Sidd Finch.

Funny. That's what came to mind for me as well while I was reading the SI quote.

Keith Law basically said he would go second in this draft behind Strasburg only because of age (not talent).

Rumored to consider HS GED diploma so he could be available for next year's draft rather than wait 2 years. The Nationals might actually have some talent in a couple of years.

Im going to go against the grain and say this kid doesn't even become as good as Corey Patterson. So much can happen between now and whenever he hits the major leagues.

Harper is off to junior college and his GED.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/t ... ff_to.html

Looks like the Strasburg Harper battery is a real possibility in a few years (unless they decide Harper's bat is better off not being a catcher).

Good for him, no rerason not to.

I look forward to how COLLEGE-AGED players on that team take to having a 16-year-old on the team; and who's parents will have to pick him up and everything. Kid better make it or he'll be a cash cow for some lucky psychologist.

What's the driving limit in Texas, 18? If he can play and hold his own he'll be fine.......